Vulnerable
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: Who found Clark in Hidden, after he was shot? This is a very AU version of that episode. Hint's of CLIOS, but nothing too obvious. Let me know what you think, this is my first SV fic! COMPLETE!
1. Surprise, Surprise

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _Very AU version of 'Hidden', Please leave a review and let me know what you think!_ _This is my very first Smallville fan fiction, so forgive me if the characters aren't dead on!

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**Vulnerable**

Lois Lane brushed a piece of her hair out of her face irritably as she drove down the long, boring stretch of road. Europe hadn't exactly gone the way she had wanted, and she had decided, against the Generals wishes, to return to the little farmers town; Smallville.

She herself couldn't explain why exactly she wanted to come back to the small town, and instead she blamed her decision on her eccentric cousin Chloe, who she couldn't help but miss when she had been halfway across the world.

The brunette couldn't help but grin in anticipation as she neared the Kent farm. No one new about her sudden, very early return to Smallville, and she was excited to see both the looks on Chloe and, more importantly, Clarks face when she showed up on his porch. She could already picture his face falling when she told him the great news.

_I just hope I can bunk with Chloe this time, _Lois thought a little anxiously. She hadn't been in contact with her blonde cousin in a month; she had never been one to write letters or emails. _I kind of want to stay at the Kent's though; the look on Smallville's face would be priceless! _Laughing to herself at the mental image, she tapped her hands on her steering wheel, attempting to follow the beat of the music that blared from the stereo.

Soon, she found herself singing loudly, completely ignoring both her hair (which was whipping around her face wildly from the wind), and the numerous police cars that were parked against the side of the road. _It seems like this place never has a dull moment, _she thought fleetingly, not giving the emergency vehicles a second glance.

She also paid no attention to the motorcycle that drove past her, doing well over the speed limit. The small vehicle made a sharp left at the next available turn, and soon disappeared from view.

Instead, she continued to drive, singing loudly to herself and beating her fingers against steering wheel. She was in a good mood; therefore she didn't even blush in embarrassment at her obvious tone deafness. "You better be at the Kent's, Chloe." Lois said aloud when the song ended. She had gone to her cousins home, only to find that she wasn't there. She wanted to surprise the future reporter first, and she hoped that she hadn't missed her.

She was pretty sure that Chloe was supposed to be heading towards Metropolis for her university orientation sometime soon. Frowning, Lois shook the negative thought of her cousin missing her surprise, and began to sing loudly again as the next song began to play.

Lois stopped singing abruptly not long afterwards, as an odd sight met her eyes. Frowning, she squinted and sped up so that she could see what was ahead of her better. _Is that Chloe's car? _An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she got closer. Something, or rather someone, was sprawled out in the middle of the road. _Okay, that is definitely her car, but who's laying the middle of the road…? _She questioned herself once the red vehicle became clearer.

Lois' heart sped up. Her cousins' car was laden with all of her possessions, and it was halfway in a ditch.

Slowing down, she leaned up in her seat to get a better look at the figure on the ground.

What she saw made her heart drop to her feet, and she could practically feel the blood draining from her previously flushed face. "Oh my god, _Clark_?!" Lois gasped, slamming on her brakes and leaping out of her car in a matter of seconds.

She reached the farm boys' side, and fell down to her knees. "Clark? Clark! Come on Smallville, answer me _NOW_!" She yelled frantically into the teens face.

Clark moaned from beneath her, his head lolling to the side weakly.

Gritting her teeth, Lois quickly flew back to her car, grabbed one of her shirts from the back seat, and was soon back at Clark's side. "This is going to hurt a lot, but I know a bullet hole when I see one, and I need to apply some pressure." She said, mostly to herself since her injured friend didn't seem to be listening.

Clark, even in his delirious state, still screamed in agony when the pressure was applied.

Lois did not remove the cloth, and with one bloody hand, she pulled out her cell phone from her jean pocket and dialed 911. She didn't even wait for the operator to speak, but quickly explained what she had discovered and where she was.

Closing her phone with a snap, and ignoring the operator, who was telling her to "stay on the line"; Lois shoved the cell back into her pocket.

Clark seemed to have regained some level of consciousness and was looking at Lois, his blue green eyes dull with pain. "Lo…is?" He gasped out, choking on the blood that flew from his mouth.

"Yeah Smallville, it's me. Don't worry you're going to be just fine."

"G-Gabriel…he…he h-has her…" He coughed out painfully.

"Relax Clark, I don't know who Gabriel is but I do know that Chloe can take care of herself." Lois said calmly, although her heart was hammering inside her chest at the thought of some nutcase who had obviously kidnapped her cousin. _Please be okay Chloe…please be okay…_

Lois was startled out of her thoughts by Clark, who had just tried to rise from his position on the ground.

He moaned in agony, and fell backwards almost immediately. "I h-have…save her, can't let him hurt…Chl…oe…" Clark mumbled painfully.

"Listen Smallville, and listen good. You are in no shape to do _anything_ at the moment. You're going to the hospital and there's nothing you can do about it. Understand?" Lois said in a tight voice, she was terrified for Clark. The bullet had torn through his chest area, and his entire shirt, his jeans and her own clothing was covered in blood.

Clark laughed weakly as more blood trickled down the side of his mouth, and he gasped out in a slightly sarcastic voice, "I…miss...ed you t-too…Lo…is…" before the pain overwhelmed him and he fell into darkness.

"Clark? Clark don't you dare fall asleep on me! Smallville, wake up!" Lois cried anxiously, her hands beginning to tremble with fear when he didn't respond to her at all. "Damnit, where is that stupid ambulance?" She yelled out in anger.

As if on cue, the wailing of sirens could be heard, and soon a police car and an ambulance pulled up.

The paramedics took over immediately, and it was only a matter of minutes before Clark was stabilized and loaded in the back of the ambulance. One of the paramedics called out to the police officers, who had been busy keeping Lois away from her friend. "I need one of you to drive; we're both needed in the back! This kid is a serious scoop and run!"

The female officer nodded and quickly ran to the vehicle.

"Wait! Let me go with him at least!" Lois cried out, struggling out of the officers grasp.

"Sorry, there isn't enough room; you'll have to meet him at the hospital."

Lois shot a death glare at the paramedic, but it was of no use, the ambulance was already flying down the road, leaving her and the other officer in its dust, its sirens shrieking.

"Come on, ma'am, I'll take you there."

Lois nodded numbly, and stumbled over to the passenger's side of the police car. Thoughts of her own car, which was still sitting in the middle of the road, completely out of her mind, "His parents, someone needs to call his parents…Jonathan and Martha Kent."

The officer nodded and quickly spoke into his radio. "An officer is on their way over there right now, don't you worry."

Lois smiled feebly at the man, and quickly looked down; she was uncharacteristically speechless as she stared down at her bloody hands. Her mind however, was going a mile a minute. Chloe had been kidnapped, Clark had been shot, and she hadn't even been back in town for more than half an hour…_Never a dull moment in Smallville, _she thought to herself gloomily as she continued to stare at her hands, blinking furiously to keep her tears at bay.

She could feel her heart wrenching in two when she thought of how Clark had been laying there…so helpless. _How could someone do that to him? He's so…self sacrificing, he'd do anything for anyone…how could anyone WANT to hurt Clark Kent? _

**TBC

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_I've got almost all of this written…review if you're interested in reading the rest :) Once again, sorry if the characters aren't spot on…this is my first Smallville fiction (and I've only seen seasons 4,5 and parts of season 1 and 6- I just started watching this show and I bought s4 and s5 on DVD…I asked for the other 3 for Christmas!) _

_Hope you like it so far!_

_Ashley _


	2. Informing The Parents

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _You may notice that there isn't much of Lana's emotions, or even as much of Chloe's…the reason being is because I felt that the Kent's needed a bigger role in this episode to begin with…I mean, their son was shot…I expected more than a whimper from Martha and a few emotional hugs at the end…there was too much of Lana crying for Clark. (I'm biased I know- ughh Lana just makes me soo furious!)_

_Anyways, just wanted to explain my reasoning for having more Martha, Jonathan and Lois emotions, in comparison to Lana's feelings.

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**Vulnerable**

_**The Kent Farm **_

Martha scrubbed the plate in her hand thoughtlessly as she stared out her kitchen window. She couldn't help the uneasy feeling in her stomach, which she was sure was from the ominous phone call Chloe Sullivan had received earlier this morning.

Jonathan had returned not long ago, with no news about the rumored missile silos that had been activated. The sheriff had pretty much told him to butt out, and to go home while trained professionals handled the situation.

Sighing, Martha set the breakfast dish down and wiped her hands dry. She opened the front door and stepped out onto her porch, leaning up against the railing and allowing the soothing suns rays to calm her nerves.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm sure that the cops and the army personnel have found the silos and the kid that activated it." Jonathan suddenly said from behind her. He wrapped his arms around his wife's slender shoulders and held her close. He didn't really believe his own words, but there wasn't much else they could do but hope.

"I hope Chloe and Clark are okay…" Martha finally replied with a frown of worry.

"I'm sure that they're just fine. Clark can handle himself pretty well."

"I don't know Jonathan, Clark…Clark isn't used to being so vulnerable, he can get hurt now. I don't think he's had enough time to adjust to not having his powers."

"You're right…he hasn't, but he's a grown man now, as he displayed this morning…" Jonathan said with a sigh, his forehead crinkling into a frown at the memory.

Martha chuckled, "You weren't so eager to say he was a grown man with Lana around…"

"Well, he may be 18…but I wasn't expecting to wake up to _that_." The farmer replied defensively.

Before his wife could continue to tease him, they heard the sound of tires crunching the gravel. Looking up, the parents felt their hearts start to pump faster when they saw that it was a police cruiser.

"Good morning Officer, what brings you by?" Jonathan said, walking down the porch steps and towards the man who had just gotten out of the car, Martha right on his heels.

"Jonathan, Mrs. Kent," The man began politely, tipping his hat in Martha's direction.

Martha smiled slightly and said, "Please, Officer Davis, call me Martha."

Davis smiled faintly in response, wondering how quickly the smile on her face would disappear when he gave them the news he had been sent to deliver.

"Does this have to do with the missile silos? Did you guys catch the kid responsible?" Jonathan asked curiously.

"Uhm, no…we haven't found the silos…this visit isn't about that…"

The uneasiness in Martha's stomach became worse as she said, "Then what brings you here so early?"

"I'm afraid that I have some bad news, your son has just been taken to the hospital."

"_What?!"_ Both Kent's replied simultaneously.

"A driver discovered him lying in the middle of the road, barely conscious. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but I was informed that he has been taken to Smallville General with serious injuries."

"Oh my god, oh my god _no_…my baby…" Martha whispered her eyes wide with horror as she clung tightly to Jonathan.

"I'm supposed to escort you to the hospital." Officer Davis concluded, wondering how this day could possibly get any worse. He knew the Kent boy, he was a great kid…was always helping people out. _How someone could possibly want to hurt him is beyond my understanding._

"We'll follow you in the truck." Jonathan replied as calmly as he could manage. _I never should have let them search for Gabriel, what the hell was I thinking? _He yelled at himself inwardly as he got behind the wheel of his truck.

Martha buckled up her seatbelt with trembling fingers, her face tight with worry and fear.

The officer flicked on his sirens and was soon speeding down the road, Jonathan and Martha following closely behind. Neither of them bothered to lock up the house, the only thing on each of their minds was what had happened to Clark and Chloe.

_**Luther Mansion **_

Lex rubbed his hand against the back of his head as he parked his Porsche. His little meeting with Lana at the Talon hadn't exactly gone over nicely, but at least she hadn't completely freaked out on him. _She only tried to kick me out, _he thought with a small grin.

Shaking his head, Lex stepped out of the car and made his way up the steps to the castle. He was just about to pull open the heavy door when his cell phone rang shrilly from his pocket. _I don't think I can go a day without this thing ringing at least 50 times! _Groaning, he snapped the device open and said, "Hello?" in a rather annoyed tone.

The person on the other end spoke anxiously, and soon Lex felt his face pale. "What? When was he brought in? Who did it?" He demanded.

The person paused before answering.

"What do you mean you don't know what happened?!" Lex exploded, his temper getting the better of him. "Alright…yes…ok, thank you…I'm on my way…"

Lex promptly snapped his phone shut and hurried back down the steps. Jumping into his sleek sports car, he threw it into reverse and peeled out of the driveway, driving to the Talon at breakneck speed. _What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Clark? _

_**The Talon, Not Long Afterwards **_

Lana was just putting the finishing touches on her make-up when she heard her front door opening. Frowning, she wondered if it was Clark…he was the only one who would walk in without knocking. This thought was shot down however, when she heard Lex Luther call her name.

Groaning, she exited her bathroom and glared at the billionaire. "I thought I told you to leave?" She snapped.

"I just received a phone call from one of my sources at the hospital." Lex began, ignoring her tone.

Lana was preparing to ream Lex out even more, but stopped when she saw the worried expression on his face, so instead she settled for a, "So?"

"It was about Clark, he was just admitted to the hospital. He was shot, Lana…from what I was told, it doesn't look very good."

"Oh my god…" Lana whispered, her eyes widening with fear. She quickly grabbed her purse and keys and swept past Lex.

"Lana wait. Let me drive you, my car can get us there a lot faster." Lex called as he hurried after the visibly trembling woman.

Lana froze on the steps, and after a second of contemplating his offer, she nodded her head. "Alright." She said quietly.

_**Smallville Memorial Center**_

Jonathan and Martha flew through the hospital doors, leaving Officer Davis way behind as they looked around the reception area anxiously.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent?" An exhausted voice called from behind them.

The worried parents turned around to see a very weary looking Lois Lane waving to them. They hurried over to her, Martha speaking first, "Lois? What are you doing here?"

"I cam back from Geneva early…was on my way to your farm…and, and I found Clark laying in the middle of the road…Chloe was no where in sight…" She explained softly.

"Where's Clark?" Jonathan asked warily, fearing suddenly that his son wasn't even alive. Lois was covered in blood…Clark's blood. It was all over her shirt, on her jeans, there were even places on her face that she had missed in her hasty attempt to clean up.

Before the young woman could answer, a flurry of activity could be seen from down the hall.

The two Kent's immediately ran towards the commotion.

Lois stayed where she was, fighting with her urge to see what was going on; this was a private family matter.

"Clark?" Martha cried as they neared the team of doctors and nurses, who were currently swarming over a gurney. The group had just exited a trauma room.

The teenager didn't respond to his mom, he remained limp and unconscious.

Jonathon shook at the sight of his only son. Blood was all over Clark's chest, an oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, and his complexion looked pale and waxy. "Doc? What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?" He asked worriedly, he could feel his chest tightening as his heart pumped erratically in his chest.

"We're taking him up to surgery right now. I'm not positive but I think the bullet punctured his lung, I have to open him up immediately." The professional response came immediately.

"The bullet?" Jonathan said, his eyes wide with disbelief as the full weight of the situation hit him.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to wait in the waiting room, I'll update you on his condition as soon as possible." The doctor said, her eyes betraying her obvious worry.

Martha whimpered and fell in her husbands embrace as the medical team disappeared from view.

"My baby…oh god…"

"It's going to be alright sweetheart…it's going to be fine…Clark is the strongest person I know…" Jonathan whispered as he maneuvered back over to Lois, who had been staring down the hall at them.

"Where are they taking him?" She asked worriedly, wringing her hands as the three entered the empty waiting room.

"To surgery, they think, they think the bullet pierced his lung…"

Lois nodded and sat down heavily in a chair, looking at the terrified parents sympathetically.

"Where's Clark?" A voice suddenly cried from the entrance of the room.

The three looked up to see Lana standing there, Lex Luther hung behind her, giving Jonathan a wary look before entering the room. He wondered briefly whether Clark had told his father his suspicions regarding the attack and hostage situation they had recently been in. It seemed that his former friend had not, for the father didn't pounce on him when he took a seat opposite of Martha.

"In surgery, how'd you find out?" Lois replied quickly.

"I have some friends that work here; they phoned me as soon as they recognized Clark." Lex answered smoothly.

"What happened?" Lana asked as she dropped down into a chair.

Lois sighed and carefully explained in detail what had happened, with the Kent's throwing in bits and pieces of information.

"Gabriel must've brought Chloe to whichever missile silos he activated. He warned her to get out of town…so he must not want her dead…" Jonathan surmised.

"I hope his opinion of her doesn't change…" Lois said, running her fingers through her hair.

**TBC

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_I added a little bit of Lex to this chapter…decided to keep that from the actual episode since he did actually go to the hospital (if you have the s5 DVD there is a cut scene where Lex actually goes to the hospital). _

_I was surprised at the amount of feedback my first chapter received, but I was extremely happy about it! How's about you surprise me with some more terrific reviews?! I really want to make my first SV story a successful one! _

_I will probably post the next update before Christmas…if I'm feeling charitable! ; ) _

_Ashley•_


	3. Shock

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _Please, keep in mind that this is slightly AU from the actual series, not by much, just a smidge! Please leave some more wonderful reviews and have a safe and happy holiday!

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**Vulnerable**

**Chapter 3: Shock **

_**Unknown Location**_

"Gabriel…you have to stop this and let me go…Clark, Clark could d-die out there…" Chloe said desperately as she worked her hands furiously behind her back. Her captor hadn't done a very good job at the knots, and she could already feel them loosening.

"I can't stop it, Chloe. This has to be done…I thought you'd understand!" The obviously distraught teen snapped at her as he continued to type on the keyboard.

Chloe felt tears falling down onto her cheeks, and she said brokenly, "Please Gabriel, Clark needs help…at least let me call 911 so they know where to find him…" The image of her best friend falling to his knees, blood dribbling out of his mouth as he stared at her, kept replaying in her mind.

_I need to help Clark, oh god I can't let him die..._

"It won't matter, Chloe! This place is going to be history in less than 10 minutes, and all of the meteor freaks will be gone with it." Gabriel explained, a maniac gleam in his eyes.

"You're going to kill hundreds of innocent people just to get rid of a few meteor freaks?" Chloe asked incredulously. She didn't pay attention to his answer as she continued to loosen the rope around her wrists, only hearing snatches of his explanation.

_How could his father ask him to kill him? How could someone do that to their child? _She thought sadly, _No wonder Gabriel is so messed up! _

Finally, she felt the rope fall away from her raw wrists, and she quietly rose from her seat and grabbed the metal rod that lay by the chair. As smoothly as possible, Chloe brought up the heavy object and swung it towards Gabriel's head.

He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

Chloe wasted no time, and she immediately sat in the chair and started to type furiously. _Come on, come on…please…_She thought to herself pleadingly, she was an experienced computer hacker…and if Gabriel could get into this system, then she could too.

The sound of a gun clicking caused the blonde to freeze, and her heart began to beat faster when Gabriel, who had obviously recovered from the blow to his head, said quietly, "I guess I was wrong about you."

Closing her eyes as the cold metal was pressed into her back, Chloe breathed in deeply. _You can get out of this Chloe…the town and Clark need you_

_**Smallville Memorial Center **_

The small group had been waiting for less than half an hour when the doctor entered the room.

Jonathan and Martha stood up immediately. "How is he?"

"We've managed to repair the damage done to his lung," The surgeon began, and, noticing the looks of relief on the group's faces, she cautioned, "It's still going to be touch and go for a while…he lost a lot of blood. All we can do now is wait."

"Can we see him?" Martha asked, her voice trembling.

The doctor shook her head and answered, "Not yet, he needs his rest. Give it about an hour or so first."

Martha sighed in disappointment, and the faces of everyone in the room fell.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, if you allow me access to Clark's medical records I can have a special team flown down here in less than five minutes. They have more resources to work with than these people." Lex said immediately after the doctor had left them.

Lana shot the billionaire a death glare, clearly believing that he wanted access to her boyfriend's confidential files for other reasons. _He's completely normal, you idiot! _She wanted to shout angrily.

Jonathan glanced at Martha before staring Lex up and down, regarding him silently. He could see a sincere worry for his son in the other mans eyes, but there was something else there too…desire.

"No, Lex. These doctors are perfectly capable of helping my son, they've done wonders in the past and I won't lose faith in them now."

Lex didn't try and change the farmers mind. "Of course, you must do what you think it right. If you'll excuse me, I have some things that need to be done. Please call me if there is any change...I'll be in touch." He replied, rising to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Lois asked, curious.

Lex frowned but answered truthfully, "I'm going to find out what exactly is going on with this missile silos, and I am going to see if I can offer any assistance in getting your cousin back safely, Miss. Lane."

Lois couldn't help but snort. "Really? And how do you plan to help?"

"I have money, Miss. Lane, and a lot of it. If they can locate this obviously angst ridden teen, I will offer him a major buyout in return for both Miss. Sullivan's safety and that of the towns." Lex replied smoothly before exiting the room, ignoring whatever Lois had retorted back.

Not long after Lex had left, Lana rose. "I'm going to go and get a coffee…I'll be back in a minute." She mumbled quietly before slipping through the door and into the hallway.

After nearly 10 minutes had passed, Lois started to feel suspicious about the younger girl's exact whereabouts. "Uhm, I'm going to go and try and wash up some more…" She said to the Kent's.

The two nodded quietly, and Lois couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. They obviously hadn't deciphered a word she had said. _They're in shock, and who can blame them? _She thought as she walked away from the distraught parents.

She walked by the bathroom briskly, and when she didn't see Lana by the coffee machine stationed nearby, she began to peek through windows and doors as she searched for Clark's room. Finally, after trying seven doors, she came across the one she was looking for.

Lois watched quietly as Lana stroked her boyfriend's hair, she was talking to him silently, her voice shaking as sobs wracked her small body.

"Lana…you shouldn't be in here." She finally said, causing the girl to jump guiltily from her chair.

"I, I needed to see him…" Lana said defensively.

Lois smiled slightly and replied, "I know you're worried, we all are…but you heard the doctor…" As she spoke she moved closer to the bed, her heart beating wildly when she looked at the farm boy.

He looked anything but himself, and even though the blood was secluded to a bandage on the lower part of his chest, she thought he looked just as bad as he had on the road. Tubes and IV lines were everywhere, as well as some monitors that kept an eye on his heart rate.

"Come on Lana, let's go back to his parents." She whispered, ripping her eyes away from the sight.

"O-okay…" Lana gave in, allowing Lois to gently lead her out of the room.

They were almost at the door when they heard a faint noise from behind them. Turning around, they both gasped in shock when they saw Clark staring at them wearily.

"Clark!" Lana exclaimed, rushing back to his bedside and kissing him on the forehead gently.

Lois smiled from over Lana's shoulder.

Clark smiled weakly at Lana before his eyes flicked up and over her shoulder, towards Lois.

"Hey there, Smallville."

The corners of Clark's mouth turned upwards as he smiled at the brunette. Then, suddenly, his eyes drooped and soon slid shut.

Lois, for the longest time in her life, felt her his stomach plumme to her feet as fear and panic took over her senses. Her and Lana stared in shock and horror when the heart monitor stopped showing a steady pulse. Alarms began to shriek wildly, and seconds later a group of nurses and doctors had rushed into the room.

"You two shouldn't be in here!" A nurse lectured as she pushed them away from Clark's bedside.

The two stood frozen by the door, watching in fascination as a defibulator suddenly appeared.

A voice over the P.A system was repeating over and over again, "CODE BLUE, ROOM 105, all available personal to room 105…CODE BLUE…"

"Oh my god, Smallville…come on, don't you die on me…" Lois breathed, her heart pumping wildly with fear as she watched his body arch when he was shocked. She had never in a million years thought how her life would turn upside down if Clark died. _Please Clark, please…don't leave, please…_

Lana was sobbing uncontrollably, leaning up against the doorframe for support.

The doctor shocked the teen again, and still there was no result. Finally, after shocking Clark another three times, she sighed in defeat and looked at her watch, clearly about to announce the time of death.

"No!" Lana screamed, rushing forward and gripping Clarks shoulders like her life depended on it.

Lois also rushed back into the room, shoving past a nurse that tried to hold her back. Tears had started to fall down her cheeks, but she didn't notice. She glared up at the doctor, "Try again, one more time!" She wasn't asking, she was ordering.

The doctor gave her a sympathetic look, but decided to try once more. She did believe that it was too late for her patient, but she decided to humor the distraught girls, if not for anything but their own sanity. "I'll try once more, but you need to clear the room, okay?" She said gently as she signaled for the paddles to be charged yet again.

The nurse by Clark's head quickly bagged him again, and attempted to force air into his starved lungs.

Lana and Lois watched, trembling, as the doctor yelled, "CLEAR!"

Clark's body arched once again, but this time, miraculously, a heart beat was detected.

"I've got a pulse!" One of the nurses shouted excitedly, his finger pointing to the heart monitor.

"Well I'll be damned…" The doctor murmured, shocked. She quickly snapped back into work mode and started rattling off orders. "I want him stabilized and moved to a location that's closer to the nurse's station…and would someone _please_ get these girls out of here?"

Neither woman protested as they were lead away from the room, both of them still in shock about what had just taken place.

Soon, they found themselves back in the waiting room, looking dazedly at Martha and Jonathan.

"What happened?" Jonathan demanded as he stood, immediately noticing the tears on their cheeks and the faraway expressions they wore.

**TBC

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_I know, all of you are wondering how Clark gets his powers back if he doesn't completely die…I'm not going to tell you! Hah hah, but I will say this...the story isn't over…_

_Hope you enjoyed the update!_

_Ashley _


	4. A Little Relief

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _I hope everyone had a great holiday : ), I know I did! I now have all 5 seasons of Smallville, so you can just imagine how busy I'm going to be watching them ; ) _

_Thanks for all the great replies!

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_

**Vulnerable**

**_Chapter 4: A Little Relief _**

Soon, they found themselves back in the waiting room, looking dazedly at Martha and Jonathan.

"What happened?" Jonathan demanded as he stood, immediately noticing the tears on their cheeks and the faraway expressions they wore.

"H-he flat lined…he…" Lana began, unable to continue as the hard reality hit her. She had almost lost Clark forever, and he still wasn't in safe territory. _He could still die… _

Martha choked back a sob. "Is he going to be okay?" She whispered.

Before either of the two could answer, the doctor was in the room.

"What happened?" Jonathan repeated, directing his question to the doctor.

"We almost lost him, but we managed to bring him back. I don't know if his body is going to be able to handle the stress, it has become very likely that he won't make it through the night."

"Please, you've got to let us see him." Martha pleaded, her eyes sparkling with fresh tears.

The doctor nodded and said, "As soon as we have him settled in his new room I'll send for you. I'm not suggesting that you give up hope, but I advise that you prepare yourselves for the worse."

With that, the doctor swept out of the room.

Martha was shaking noticeably as she sat back down, her legs unable to support her own weight anymore.

Jonathan sat beside her, thoughts of the missile silos driven clear out of his mind. His eyes were glazed over, but he put an arm around his wife, he needed to be strong for her.

Lois, who had been silent since Clarks near death experience, was snapped out of her daze when she heard shouting coming from the reception area.

"I'm looking for Clark Kent, WHERE IS HE?" A voice mixed with both anger and worry yelled.

Lois shot up from her seat, she recognized that voice. Running out of the room, she turned a corner to see a very distraught Chloe waving her arms animatedly at a nurse, clearly furious that she wasn't getting any answers.

Her younger cousin looked relatively unhurt, and, aside from her disheveled hair, the mascara running down her face, and the speckled blood on her shirt, she seemed normal. _We kind of look the same right now._

"Please, I was with him when he was shot…tell me where he is!" Chloe continued to rant at the nurse, completely oblivious to Lois, who by now stood only feet away.

"Chloe?" Lois finally managed to say, staring at the blonde woman in shock. _How'd she get herself out of this one? _

Chloe turned quickly when she heard her name being called. _"LOIS?"_ She cried when she realized who was standing near her.

"Oh my god, Chloe. I didn't know where you were…Smallville told me you'd been taken, are you okay?" Lois asked quickly as she enveloped her cousin in a tight hug.

"I'm okay…where is Clark? Is he alright?" Chloe asked anxiously as Lois led her to the waiting room.

Lois gave her cousin a torn look, not exactly sure how to answer the question. She was spared however, when the Kent's and Lana cried out when they saw Chloe. All three of them temporarily forgetting about Clark as relief washed over them, she was alive and safe!

"Chloe! Are you alright?" Lana exclaimed, jumping to her feet and giving her friend a tight hug.

"Where's Clark?' Chloe repeated, not answering the question. Her gaze landed on the Kent's, who both looked absolutely terrible. She couldn't remember a time when she had seen them in a worse state.

"Uhmm…" Martha started awkwardly.

"Please tell me that he's okay…." Chloe whispered, her eyes wide with terror. The thought of losing her best friend this way was unbearable.

"He's still alive." Jonathan said throatily.

Lois sighed, knowing that they wouldn't get any answers out of Chloe until that gave her some, and started to explain what had happened.

Martha, Jonathan and Lana filled her in on how they had found out, and what had happened since they had gotten to the hospital.

Chloe had sunk into a chair by the time they had finished; her face was in her hands as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Chloe, what happened after Gabriel took you? Considering that Smallville wasn't turned into a massive, smoking crater, I'm assuming that you had something to do with it?" Lois asked as gently as she could manage.

The young reporter looked pale, and was tremling slightly when she nodded her head. She quietly explained what had happened right up until the point where Gabriel had stuck the gun in her back.

Everyone looked at her expectantly when she paused to regain her composure.

Heaving a great, shuddering sigh, Chloe continued to recount what had happened next…

_**Unknown Location, Earlier That Day**_

"Gabriel, you can't kill me. Who else is going to tell your story? Who will make everyone understand why you did it?" Chloe said after taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"You aren't going to make everyone understand…_you_ don't even understand! You're going to make me look like a bad person, a physco and a freak!"

"I won't, Gabriel…I'm sorry that I hit you, I'm just so scared…" Chloe replied, purposely making her voice shake uncontrollably.

"Yes you will…" Gabriel replied, but he spoke hesitantly.

Chloe felt the pressure of the gun ease away from her back, and she knew that it was now or never. Twisting around quickly, she grabbed the gun and struggled to get it out of a shocked Gabriel's hands.

The two fought for the weapon mightily, and Chloe could feel herself being overpowered. Just when she thought she was going to lose, she heard the computerized female voice say, "Three minutes to launch…"

This prompted her to fight with renewed vigor, and soon she felt the gun twisting so that it was aimed at Gabriel instead of herself. Chloe suddenly felt the gun vibrate in her hands as it fired off a shot.

Gabriel looked at her, shock mingled with pain gracing his features before he stumbled backwards and clutched his bloodied stomach.

Chloe watched with wide eyes as he collapsed to the ground, clearly dead. She stared at the body as the realization hit her. She had killed him, she was a _murderer_…She was soon snapped out of her trance, when she heard the monotone voice say again, "Sixty seconds until launch…"

"Crap!" She exclaimed as she quickly stepped over Gabriel's dead body and sat down in front of the desk. Chloe couldn't recall a moment from her past when she had typed as fast as she was typing now. Her breaths became labored when she realized that she only had 30 seconds to stop the launch.

Soon, she was down to a mere 10 seconds.

Somehow, miraculously, she was granted access to the page she needed. The blast doors were closing and the alarms were shrieking when she hit the cancel launch button.

Chloe's body was shaking uncontrollably when the voice over the speakers said, "Launch terminated…"

She sat there for at least 5 minutes before coming back to her senses. She had saved Smallville from certain destruction…she had saved countless lives…It was at that moment that she remembered…_Oh my god, Clark! _

Jumping up from her seat, she tore out of the room and down the hallway, hoping against hope that Clark had been saved from death as well.

* * *

**TBC**

_It was a short update…I have a lot more written but I just wanted to end it there, please let me know what you think!_


	5. Misplaced Guilt

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _A quick question, how does Clark get to the Fortress of Solitude? I know I should remember but I'm having a mind blank! (There's been a lot on my mind lately lol)

* * *

_

**Vulnerable**

_**Chapter 5: Misplaced Guilt **_

_**Smallville Memorial Center, Present Time**_

"I ran halfway up the road once I got out of there. My intention was to get back to Clark, but a police officer pulled up beside me. I explained the situation as quickly as I could…he said that Clark had been taken to the hospital, that someone had found him…and he gave me a ride. I have to go to the police station at some point to make a statement…" Chloe finished wearily.

Lois put a comforting arm around her cousin's shoulders and said softly, "They need one from me too; since I was the one who found him…I'll go with you when the time comes."

Chloe smiled gratefully at her.

"Are you going to be okay, Chloe? That had to have been very traumatizing." Martha asked, concerned.

_A typical Kent gesture, always putting others before themselves…even when they are the ones facing bigger problems. _"I'll be fine, Mrs. Kent. I-I just hope Clark can say they same…" Chloe replied quietly.

"Our son is tough; he'll make it through this." Jonathan said, obviously unable to believe anything else.

"He's the most thick-headed, stubborn person I've every met." Lois chipped in.

"Lois!" Chloe exclaimed at the remark.

"It's okay, Chloe…Lois is right. He's just like his father." Martha said, a small smile tugging on her lips.

Jonathan laughed lightly, reassuring Chloe that they were not offended at all by Lois' open opinion.

"Jonathan, Martha…we've got him settled in his new room." The doctor suddenly said softly as she entered the waiting area.

Everyone in the room jumped to their feet.

"Whoa, easy now. You can't all go in at once…please, one at a time. He isn't conscious but you could still overwhelm him, and the last thing he needs is more stress put on his body."

"Right, of course." Jonathan readily agreed.

"He's in room 78, take as much time as you need and I just want to forewarn you, we've put him on a respirator, he is capable of breathing on his own but his left lung is very weak., we're hoping that the respirator will relieve some stress and help him breath easier. " The doctor added before leaving, "I will update you periodically, and inform you immediately if there is any change at all."

"Martha, you go first sweetheart." Jonathan said, smiling comfortingly as he rubbed his wife's shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Martha asked quietly.

"Positive…I'll go and see him when you're done. I can wait a little longer." Jonathan replied.

Martha hugged her husband tightly before leaving the room to go and see her only son.

Jonathan stared after her, his face shadowed with both fear and guilt. It was his fault that his son was fighting for his life, he never should have told Clark and Chloe to look for Gabriel, he should have made Clark stay at home where he was safe. _Damnit Kent, you knew he was more vulnerable now than ever! How could you have been so senseless? _

Taking a shuddering breath, Jonathan sat down and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to mentally ready himself to see his son…to see what he could have prevented in the first place.

Martha, meanwhile, had just entered Clark's room. She let out a choked sob at his prone figure lying helplessly on the bed.

"Hey baby…its me, mom…" She whispered softly as she sat down by his bedside and took his hand in hers.

Clark gave no sign that his mother had spoken to him.

"You really scared me and your dad today. We thought we had lost you at first…" Martha continued, her voice shaking with sobs, "You need to hang in there sweetheart…it'll kill us if we lose you…you have to stay strong…"

Martha sniffed and wiped away the tears that were currently rolling down her cheeks. "We wanted to see you earlier but the doctor wouldn't let us…your dad will be in after me…we have to come in one at a time so that you don't get overwhelmed…" She rambled as she stroked the limp hand she held.

_I've never seen him look this bad, ever. Even when he was stabbed…_She thought to herself sadly as she observed her son. Dark rings were under his eyes; his hair was matted to his head, the blanket only covered up to his waist, and his chest was bare (the reason being that the doctors didn't want to aggravate the wound.)

Clark was paler than Martha had ever seen him, and that included the times when he was exposed to kryptonite. "I love you, Clark…and I'll be here until you wake up…" She whispered into his ear before gently kissing him on the forehead.

Martha smelled in his scent before standing. "Everyone else is anxious to visit with you…so I'm going to go for a little while; I promise I'll come back in a bit, okay baby?" She said, speaking to him as if he was awake.

Martha lingered for a few minutes, hoping to get a response. When she didn't she left the room quietly, a devastated look on her face that only a mother could have.

The moment she entered the waiting room, Jonathan jumped to his feet and enveloped her in a strong hug. She cried gently on his shoulder, whispering, "Oh god Jonathan, he looks so bad…"

"It's going to be okay, Martha. It's going to be fine…" Jonathan replied, before turning to Chloe and saying quietly, "I think you should go in Chloe. Clark saw you get kidnapped, it'll take a lot of stress off of him if he hears your voice…"

Martha pulled away and looked at him, surprised.

Chloe opened her mouth, but nothing came out, the situation was way too awkward for her part.

Lois, who quickly realized that the father wasn't prepared to see his son, said boldly, "I think Mr. Kent is right…when I found him…I didn't mention this before but…well he was asking about Chloe, he even tried to get up to go and save her…"

This seemed to convince Martha. "Tell him that his father will be in once you leave…" She said to Chloe, who nodded before leaving the room apprehensively.

"Are you sure you're okay, Jonathan?" Martha said, looking at him in concern. He was usually the one who rushed to Clark's side when he was hurt.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine Martha…I'll go and see him as soon as Chloe gets back."

Martha frowned, but nodded her head and sat down tiredly.

Chloe bit her lip as she made her way down the hall, which seemed to stretch for miles. She finally came to room 78 and took a deep breath before entering. She took an involuntary step back when she saw the state Clark was in. She had never, _never_ seen him look so bad in her entire time of knowing him.

The only time that came even relatively close was when he had been struck by that mysterious fever.

_This...this is so much worse than that…_

Chloe sat down in the chair that Martha had once occupied and stared at her best friend awkwardly. She couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt for involving him with the whole "Gabriel is going to blow up Smallville" thing.

"Hey Clark, its Chloe. Um, your dad will be in after me, he thought I'd better come in and let you know that I was okay." She continued, "Don't worry, I stopped the missile…Gabriel didn't hurt me…well, I didn't, I didn't really give him the chance to…I kind of shot him by when we were fighting for the gun...he's dead…"

Realizing that she was rambling, Chloe quickly shut her mouth. "Sorry, I'm running my mouth again. I'm just…nervous I guess…It's just…it's _so_ hard to see you like this! I never should have gotten you involved with Gabriel…I'm really sorry this happened…I wish I could be the one in that bed instead of you…" She said sadly, crying into her hands.

Chloe recomposed herself and squeezed Clark's limp hand comfortingly. "I'm going to go so that your dad can come in…get better Clark…I can't live with the thought that I escaped death today and you didn't…and even though you don't have your powers anymore…I still think you are destined for great things…" She whispered before leaving the room swiftly, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

She quickly stepped into the restroom to wash away the tear streaks, and the mascara smudges, before heading back to the waiting room. She sat down quickly once she reached her destination, and she felt Lois wrap her arm around her shoulders in a supportive embrace.

**TBC

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**

_Hope you enjoyed it :) Jonathan and Lois visit with Clark in the next chapter! _

_To answer a reviewer's question...there won't be any CLOIS in this story...there will be HINTS of a future relationship between the two...I want to stick close to the canon...the reason being that this story was never meant to be super long (I originally had planned for it to be a one-shot!), I wouldn't have time to properly develop a relationship between the two and I have a Harry Potter story that I really need to get updating again...those reviewers are going to kill me soon! ; )_

_Xo, SuNkiSsT_


	6. I Swear

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _This chapter is a little longer than the others for this story, read on!

* * *

_

**Vulnerable**

_**Chapter 6: I Swear **_

Jonathan squeezed Martha's hand, hoping to gain strength from her, before standing up.

Martha gave him a weak smile of encouragement from her chair before he disappeared down the hall.

Jonathan could feel his legs shaking slightly as he neared the room that held his son. He hesitated when he reached out for the door handle, afraid at what he was going to see.

Taking a few calming breaths, he opened the door and entered the room, shutting the door shut behind him with a quick snap.

His legs almost buckled from under him when he saw Clark, and the emotions that he had kept at bay in front of the others broke through.

"Clark…" He choked out as he made his way to his son's bedside. Tears were already streaming down his cheeks before he had even sat down.

"Son…its dad…I'm here…" Jonathan said shakily as he gazed at the teen's prone figure. "I'm so sorry son, I'm so sorry…this is all my fault…I n-never should have let you go…"

The distraught father stroked his sons face gently, a look of hurt, guilt and complete and utter fear on his tanned face. "I can't lose you, son. _I can't…_"

"Please Clark…please hold on, o-okay?" Jonathan found himself pleading to his unconscious son, it was unlike him to stutter or completely break down, but this was a whole lot different from any of the other times that Clark had been injured. He had been immortal then…

Jonathan couldn't handle the thought that his only son was teetering on the precipice of life and death.

"Y-you know…its funny, this morning I was worried about how fast you were growing up…and now, and now…I'm a-afraid, afraid that I'll n-never get to see you become that man I've _always_ known you'd grow into…" He whispered sadly, before dropping his head onto the bed and crying softly at Clark's side.

Jonathan soon lost track of how long he'd been there for, and he quickly rubbed the tears off of his face before standing. "I won't let you die, Clark. No matter what…I won't let you go…I promise you that…" He said softly into his son's ear before leaving the room.

Martha was on the verge of going to make sure Jonathan was alright, as he had been with Clark for nearly half an hour, when he walked into the room, looking worse than when he had left.

"Honey? Are you alright?" Martha asked.

Jonathan didn't answer, but quickly held her in a tight hug, which he didn't release her from until at least a full minute had passed. He then sat down, massaging his temples.

Lana hurried out of the room, obviously intending on going to see Clark. She came back less than 10 minutes later, mumbling to Chloe that it had been too hard to see him like that, especially after he had flat lined in front of her not long before.

"It's okay Lana..." Chloe reassured her quietly.

The dark haired beauty shot her a grateful smile before lowering her eyes to her shoes.

"I'll be back in a minute…just want to let Sma-Clark know that I'm rooting for him…" Lois said awkwardly before quickly leaving her chair.

Chloe smiled after her retreating cousins back. _She cares for him way more than she's willing to admit._

Unlike the rest of the group, Lois didn't hesitate to enter Clark's room. She had found him bleeding on the road, and had seen his body get shocked multiple times…he couldn't look much worse than he already had the last time she had seen him.

She did cringe slightly however, when she saw the respirator tubes that ran out of her friend's mouth. Frowning, she took a seat beside the bed and regarded Clark carefully. "Well Smallville, you've definitely done it this time. You almost had me thinking you were some sort of superman for a while there…the way you always appeared at the right time…the way that you never managed to get yourself hurt in really dangerous situations…I guess you really are just lucky….or, well…I guess you were lucky…"

Wrinkling her nose, Lois realized that that hadn't really come out the way she had wanted it to. "I didn't mean it like that, Smallville. Sorry, I guess I do have a big mouth…"

"Anyways, you better get through this. As amazing as this might sound, I do like your company…who else am I supposed to make fun of? Hmmm? Who will reply sarcastically back that I'm annoying or delusional? I swear I'll kill you before you die, and it won't be a peaceful death!" Lois threatened, obviously being sarcastic.

"I won't let you put your parents through hell because you decided that you couldn't fight anymore! That honorable streak of yours better fight this, Kent. I know damn well that the last thing you want is to hurt your parents…" She continued, her voice slightly softer than before.

Sighing, Lois rose from the chair and grabbed Clark's hand. She leant down, so close that her lips nearly brushed his ear, and whispered, "Please Clark, your parents won't be the only ones that'll go through hell if you leave…"

With that, she gently squeezed his hand before straightening and leaving the room as swiftly as she had come.

When Lois had finally made her way back, she was surprised to see a new addition to the group; Lex had returned.

She gave him a questioning glance before sitting next to Chloe.

"Miss. Lane, I took it upon myself to tow both your car and Miss. Sullivan's to the hospital parking lot." He informed her, tossing the keys in her lap.

"Uh, thanks…I guess."

"Lex, for the last time, quit using my last name…its just _Chloe_." The blonde said, annoyed.

Lex shot her a smirk. "Now, as I was saying a moment ago, I wanted to know if my third miracle has happened." He said, directing his question to the Kent's.

"Third miracle?" Jonathan asked.

Lex nodded and replied, "First, I found out that Chloe was able to stop the launching of the missile, and then not ten minutes later I received a call from one of my doctors at Belle Reeve, my father, whom you may know has been in a catatonic state for many weeks, suddenly snapped out of it…he is fully functional and demanding to be released from the facility."

"Does he remember anything?" Lana asked quietly, remembering when she had seen Lionel acting insane over a month ago.

"From what I've been told, he remembers nothing. I'm on my out to retrieve and question him."

"Do the doctors know _why_ he snapped out of it?" Chloe pressed, her reporter instincts taking over.

Lex frowned, but answered, "Apparently, they heard him say 'this body will not be needed' before he became himself again."

Jonathan frowned, his brow furrowed. _I wonder if there is any connection to Jor-El? _

"Anyways, enough about my father. How is Clark?"

"He's…hanging in there…" Lois replied.

"Can he have visitors yet?"

Jonathan hesitated, but sighed and said, "Room 78, don't be long, he needs rest." He didn't have the energy to fight with the billionaire right now.

Lex nodded and left the room briskly. He made his way to Clark's room and entered quietly.

He did not take a seat beside his former best friend, preferring to stand near the door. The two weren't exactly on the best of terms lately.

"Clark, its Lex. You probably don't want anything to do with me right now, but I just wanted to see for myself that you're still fighting." Lex sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as he regarded the teenager. He could feel self-doubt creeping up on him slowly.

_Maybe I was wrong about him all along. Maybe he is just a normal teenager…and I'm just too paranoid to see the obvious. _

Lex groaned in frustration and confusion. He just didn't know _what _to think anymore! He was damn sure that he had seen Clark survive the impossible, and yet here he was, fighting for his life in the hospital with a bullet in his chest…

"I'm sorry, Clark." He finally said softly.

After one final look at his friend, Lex left the room.

"That didn't take very long." Chloe stated when the bald headed man reentered the waiting room.

Lex nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. I have to see to my father…and well, I'm sure Clark would rather someone else be with him right now, at least…anyone but me."

Before anyone could ask him what he meant by that, he quickly added, "I have my cell, please call and let me know if there is any change…I'll talk to you all later…" With that said, he left the room and disappeared down the hall.

Several hours soon passed, and the small group of five stayed in their respective seats. Darkness had started to creep through the windows as the sun disappeared before the doctor returned, looking very grave.

"He has regained consciousness, and we have taken the respirator out…it was making him very uncomfortable." She announced.

"Thank god!" Martha said, a smile touching her lips.

"Does this mean he's going to be okay?" Jonathan asked anxiously. His face fell when the surgeon shook her head sadly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent…" The doctor continued, "I'm afraid that his condition is worsening…It is my strong belief that he will not last through the night."

"No…" Martha whispered brokenly, her hand tightening around Jonathan's.

The three younger girls shot each other devastated looks at this new piece of information.

"Is…is there nothing else you can do?" Jonathan asked desperately.

"I'm afraid not, all we can do is make him comfortable…It'll take nothing short of a miracle to save him…I'm truly sorry."

"Oh god…" Martha's voice shook with fear, "Oh god _no_…."

Lana and Chloe both broke down into tears.

Lois sat still, feeling numb. She hadn't felt this way since her mother had died.

"But…he's awake…doesn't that count for something?" Jonathan pressed.

"The stress was too much for his body to handle and he lost too much blood, his body is under too much strain. We've done everything possible."

"No, no…NO!" Jonathan exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

"I'm sorry." The doctor repeated before leaving the group to handle the bad news in private.

Jonathan looked a Martha, a desperate gleam in his eyes. "I can't let him die, Martha…I-I _can't_!"

"Jonathan…" Martha began with a sob, "There's nothing more we can do…"

"I refuse to believe that…I won't believe that! I-I've got to go…I've got to do something!" He cried, completely forgetting that there were three other people in the room, two of which did not know Clark's secret.

Chloe bit her lip nervously, she had a very strong feeling that Jonathan was going to the caves.

Jonathan embraced Martha in a hug and whispered into her ear, "Maybe Jor-El can help; I've got to try something Martha. I can't just sit here and wait for him to die…I love you…"

Martha felt the tears slipping down her cheeks faster and faster as she clung onto her husband. "Jonathan, please don't do anything rash…" She choked out quietly.

Jonathan gave his wife a watery smile and said softly, "Tell Clark to hang in there…"

Martha collapsed back into her seat, her head in her hands as she cried quietly.

Lana immediately went to her side and put an arm around her shoulder. She had no idea what Clark's dad could do to help his son, but she new that the devastated mother needed some comfort.

Jonathan gave Martha one more long look before heading outside to his truck.

Not long after he had gone, Martha stood and said shakily, "He's awake…I-I've got to go and see him, uhm, I'll…I'll come back for the three of you when I'm done."

Lana, Lois and Chloe remained silent, knowing full well that Martha needed some privacy with her only son. They watched, feeling helpless, as the mother wandered out of the room, looking lost.

**TBC

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**

_I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think! Clark will get his powers back in this, as I said, I want to stick close to the canon :D You'll just have to wait and see how...you'll know very soon!\_


	7. Promises Kept and Broken

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _Well this is the ending (please don't kill me; I really, REALLY suck at them!) However, there will be an epilogue to tie up all of the loose ends, and there will be some strong hints of a future CLOIS relationship in it. (The entire epilogue is pretty much going to focus on Lois and Clark, with some of the Kent parents)._

_Please keep your eyes peeled for it! Anyways…on with the chapter!

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_

**Vulnerable**

**Chapter 7: Promises Kept and Broken**

_**Clark's Room**_

Clark moaned as consciousness returned to him. He tried to sit up, but found it to be impossible. A searing pain erupted through his chest the moment he made any movement.

_What happened? _He wondered as he stared at the ceiling, still feeling exhausted. It took him a few minutes to remember what exactly had taken place. _I thought I died…_He frowned when he thought back to right before he had flat-lined. Lana and Lois had been talking to him…

_Lois…_Clark smiled slightly when he thought of the overbearing woman, _she saved me, if I get through this she's never going to let me live it down…_

Clark's thoughts were broken when he erupted into a very painful coughing fit. After a few minutes, he found himself able to breathe again, but it was torture every time he sucked the air in.

Closing his eyes, Clark tried to steady his breathing, hoping that if he evened it out, it wouldn't be so painful. His concentration was soon broken however, by the sound of the door opening. Someone was coming in.

"Clark!" Martha exclaimed as soon as she had entered her son's room, her voice somewhere between a sob and a choked cry.

She rushed over to Clark, who was following her with his eyes tiredly. Martha sat down and grabbed his hand, using her free one to brush away her tears.

"M-mom…" Clark whispered, his voice hoarse. He gave his mom one of his famous smiles, attempting to reassure her that he was okay,

"Oh, my baby…" Martha said, her voice shaking with both relief and fear. _It feels so good to hear his voice._

"Mom…d-dad?" Clark questioned as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Uhm…your father will be here soon, Clark. Don't you worry about him; you just concentrate on getting yourself better." Martha answered gently as she stroked his hair.

Even in his weakened state, Clark new that his mom wasn't giving him the whole truth. "Where….?" He began to ask.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't talk, save your strength!" Martha interrupted before he could finish.

Clark however, was just as stubborn as his father and continued to speak, "Where…is…dad?"

Martha sighed and squeezed his hand tighter. She briefly contemplated lying, but she knew that Clark would see right through her, besides…she couldn't lie to her son, especially when he was like this. "He…he's gone to see if Jor-El can help us." She replied truthfully.

Clark's eyes widened considerably, and worry began to consume him immediately. The last time his father had sought Jor-El's help he had come out of it with a very bad heart. "He...shouldn't…"

Martha smiled and said, "I made him promise not to do anything rash…your father is many things Clark, but he never breaks his promises." _Unless his sons' life is at stake…_She thought to herself worriedly.

"I'm…not a-afraid to…to die." Clark mumbled, he could feel his strength slipping by the second, and he knew at that moment that his condition was worsening. His father would only go to Jor-El if he was desperate.

The distraught mother smiled at her son's bravery. With or without powers, he was as selfless as ever. "Your father and I are both very proud of you, Clark. You're the best son we ever could've asked for, and we love you…but you can't give up on us, okay? This is completely selfish, but your dad and I…we can't keep going without you, we love you too much to lose you…we…we aren't as selfless as you." Martha said, beginning to cry again as she kissed the teens forehead.

"I'm tired mom…" Clark whispered, his heart was breaking at the obvious pain his mother was in, but he was so sleepy…

"Please stay awake, don't you want to see Chloe, Lana and Lois? They're waiting outside." Martha replied, slightly desperate. She was afraid that if he fell asleep, he wouldn't wake back up.

"So…I wasn't dreaming?" Clark asked, adding when he saw his mom's confused frown, "I thought…I heard Chloe…s-she said, she said that she stopped…him…"

Martha smiled and nodded, relieved that he could hear some good news. "Smallville is safe and so is Chloe."

"That's…good…" He mumbled as his eyelids began to slide shut.

"Clark? Clark, please baby, stay with me!" Martha cried, alarmed.

"Can't…tell…dad…love him…and you m-mom…" Clark whispered.

"Clark, baby?!" The frantic mother sobbed, fear consuming her entire being when the young man didn't respond.

Looking at the heart monitor, Martha realized with a wave of utter relief that Clark had simply passed out from the pain. He wasn't dead. Releasing the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she rose from her chair on shaky legs and went to get the rest of the group so that they could all sit with her son together. All the while, she prayed to god for the miracle her family so desperately needed.

_**Kawatchee Caves **_

Jonathan studied the cave walls as he walked towards the fissure in the wall. He was sweaty and out of breath, his anxiety reaching a new level, but he ignored his pounding heart.

After making sure that there was no one around, Jonathan bellowed, "JOR-EL! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

No response.

"MY SON NEEDS YOUR HELP!" He tried again, tears of frustration forming in his eyes when, once again, there was no response.

Screaming in frustration, Jonathan punched the rocky wall, ignoring the stinging feeling in his knuckles as blood trickled down them.

"Please…" He pleaded sadly, his eyes staring at the mossy ground. He was feeling the familiar stab of helplessness that he often got when it came to his son. _I have to help him. _

"HE'S YOUR SON TOO, JOR-EL! HE'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING!" Jonathan roared, his voice echoing throughout the cave walls.

Suddenly, there was a blinding light from the fissure in the wall; it enveloped the farmer, who yelled out in surprise. Then everything went black.

Jonathan had suddenly disappeared, along with light.

_**Fortress of Solitude **_

The first thing that Jonathan became aware of was the biting cold that seemed to penetrate his very bones. Groaning, his rose to his feet and rubbed his hands against his arms as he studied his surroundings.

Without even asking, he knew that he was at the crystal fortress Clark had briefly described to him. Shivering uncontrollably, he called out, "Jor-El?"

After a few minutes of silence, the entire fortress seemed to come to light, and a voice boomed out to him, seemingly from every corner of the area, "Jonathan Kent, I have been expecting you."

"You need to help Clark; he's going to die if you don't do something." Jonathan got straight to the point.

"I am aware of Kal-El's condition." Jor-El replied calmly.

Feeling the anger rising in his chest, Jonathan snapped, "Your letting him suffer?! How could you let your only son suffer when you knew damn well that you could do something about it?!"

"Kal-El's mortal journey must end."

"SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO WATCH HIM DIE?!" Jonathan bellowed furiously.

"He will be returned to you, Jonathan Kent, with all of his natural gifts. I had originally planned to use my vessel on Earth to bring Kal-El here once he passed, but I released the man when my son did not die after the incident in the hospital. I knew you would be coming…"

_The vessel must've been Lionel, _Jonathan thought before speaking, "What can I do?"

"I will give you all of Clark's natural born gifts, which you can in turn restore to him." Jor-El answered.

Jonathan took an involuntary step back and said cautiously, "You never do anything without a price, Jor-El. What do you want from my family?"

"Kal-El is meant to die, if he is resurrected the life force of someone close to him must be sacrificed."

Jonathan swallowed nervously and stated, "So, someone is going to have to die? Someone Clark loves?"

"Precisely. It is for you to decide."

_Clark would never want that, _the father thought helplessly. "Can it be me?" He finally asked quietly. He had promised his son that he would save him…he never broke his promises.

"That is not for me, but for nature to decide, Jonathan Kent. It could happen tomorrow, or in fifty years. It may be you, his future wife, or Martha Kent...anyone he is close to." Jor-El replied.

Another shiver wracked through Jonathan's body, but it wasn't just from the freezing air that seeped through his thin flannel shirt. _Can I really sacrifice the life of someone else to save my son? If only it could just be me…_

Staring up at the crystal walls, Jonathan made his decision after nearly half an hour of contemplation.

_**Smallville Memorial Center **_

Martha had fallen asleep, her head resting by Clark's side, her hand still clinging loosely to his own.

Lana sat on the other side of the bed, her eyes were wide and glossy as she looked emptily at Clark, she stroked his arm gently, a faraway expression on her face.

Lois and Chloe sat huddled together on a small loveseat at the foot of the teen's bed, it had been brought in by some nurses.

Chloe, overwhelmed by the day's events, had finally fallen asleep on her cousin's shoulder. She shook slightly as nightmares plagued her, not even a comforting squeeze on her shoulder from Lois would calm her restless dreams.

Lois sighed as she blinked her eyes rapidly. She was trying extremely hard to be strong for the other people in the room, but it was becoming increasingly hard. She didn't know Clark as well as Chloe or Lana, and definitely not as well as his mother, but she was still terrified inside.

The thought of losing him was overwhelming, and it surprised her that it scared her as much as it did. Lois groaned and shifted in her seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position without disturbing Chloe.

Her efforts were for nothing, however, for the door suddenly opened and Jonathan entered the room, bringing in the noise from the hall.

Martha was awake in an instant. "Jonathan!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Chloe woke a little more slowly, but when she realized that Jonathan had returned, she snapped to attention and looked at him anxiously. _Please, please…let him say he's found a way to save Clark._

"Martha, how is he?" Jonathan asked quietly.

Martha hesitated before answering, "Not good, Jonathan…he woke up once for about 10 minutes, that's it. He's getting worse…"

All hopes that Jonathan wouldn't have to restore Clark's powers and risk the life of someone else diminished at these words. _I have no choice, _he thought sadly, _he really is going to die if I don't do this, and I can't let him die because of my idiocy! _

It seemed that Clark new that his father was now with them, for he moaned softly before awaking. He gave Lana a tired smile before turning towards his parents. "Dad…" He said scratchily.

Jonathan felt his heart break all over again, but he put on a brave face and sat next to his son. "Clark, how are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"Fine." Clark immediately lied. In truth, he felt far from it…he felt like he'd been shot point blank in the chest.

Jonathan laughed shakily, trying to ignore the inquisitive stare that Martha was giving him. He couldn't do or say anything until Clark's friends had left.

Thankfully, Chloe got the silent hint. "Guys, lets go and get some coffee, we should give them some time alone…" She said to the other girls quietly.

The three left hesitantly, all of them praying silently that Clark wouldn't be spending his final family moment in that room.

Meanwhile, Clark was staring at his father, attempting feebly to unlock the secrets behind his eyes. "Dad…Jor-El…what d-did you…do?"

"He gave me the power to save you, son." Jonathan answered truthfully.

Martha gasped from over his shoulder.

"How…?" Clark couldn't finish his sentence, for he had started to cough violently. When he was done, he looked at his dad expectantly, his eyes full of pain.

"It doesn't matter how," Jonathan shook his head, "The important thing is that you're going to be alright."

"Thank god!" Martha managed to choke out.

"Son…the only way is to give you your powers back. It's the only way Jor-El would help…he told me that your destiny suits a higher purpose than a common mortal."

Clark closed his eyes and sighed heavily. _Back to the lies…_he thought bitterly.

"Your powers won't come back all at once; it'll be a gradual process, so that the doctors don't ask more questions than necessary. Eventually there won't even be a scar…" Jonathan continued.

"Dad…what, what did…Jor-El want…in r-return…" Clark asked.

"Nothing." Jonathan lied. _You're doing the right thing! _He justified to himself, _Clark will blame himself if you tell him the truth._

Clark seemed skeptical, but he didn't have the energy to ask more questions. His eyelids were feeling heavier by the second, and it felt as if the life was being sucked out of him. He felt his fathers hand close around his.

"Dad...love...you." Clark whispered, and then everything went dark.

His heart had stopped again.

Jonathan's heart pounded erratically when the monitors by his son's bed started to squeal. _This is supposed to happen, _he attempted to calm himself. It was hard however, considering the fact that right now is son was in fact, dead.

Martha cried out in alarm, fearing that her husband had come too late.

The determined father quickly rolled up his sleeves and stood, he had to act quickly before the doctors came rushing in. "Stay back, Martha! His mortal life had to end before I could help, don't worry!" He said above the noise of the heart monitor.

Martha clutched her chest but stayed where she was, her entire body trembling.

Jonathan quickly placed both of his palms on his son's chest and closed his eyes.

Watching in fascination, Martha gasped when a flash of white light filled both Clark and Jonathan's bodies, and then, as quick as it had come, it disappeared.

Jonathan slumped backwards into a chair, exhausted. A doctor rushed into the room just as the monitors returned to normal. The unfamiliar physician muttered something about the reliability of technology before apologizing to the parents and leaving swiftly.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked her husband anxiously.

"Yeah, just a little tired. I'll be fine." Jonathan panted, a tired hand running through his blond hair.

"He looks better already." Martha whispered as she gazed at Clark, who was now sleeping peacefully. From where she was standing she could see the color returning to his cheeks.

Jonathan smiled as he rose slowly; he gave Martha a tight hug and whispered, "Everything is going to be alright now…"

Martha clutched onto him tightly and replied softly, "Thanks to you."

At that precise moment, Lana, Chloe and Lois re-entered the room. All three of them held trays of coffee, and some food from the cafeteria. They looked at the Kent's solemnly, and were surprised when they were greeted with two smiles and tear stained cheeks.

"Uh, did we miss something?" Lois asked bluntly, frowning as she set down the coffee's she held.

"Not a thing, I just have a feeling that Clark is going to be okay." Martha replied, unable to contain her relief fully.

Lana and Lois shot each other confused looks, but relief was evident on their faces. Neither of them was about to question the motherly intuition Martha seemed to have. Besides, if Clark recovered, that was all that mattered.

Chloe let out a low, long breath and smiled knowingly.

The group sat with the Clark in silence for the rest of the night, sipping their coffees quietly, each one of them lost in their own thoughts.

**The End

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**

_Don't forget that there will be an epilogue! _


	8. Epilogue

**_Title_**: _Vulnerable _

**_Author_**: _Ashley Graham_

_**Rating**: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…_

**_Summary_**: _Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time. _

**_Authors Note_**: _Here's the final installment, please don't yell at me for my sucky ending! I tried!! _

_Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Vulnerable**

_**Epilogue**_

**_Kent Farm, Two Weeks Later _**

Lois sighed as she made her way into the Kent barn, it had been nearly two weeks since Clark had been released from the hospital, and things had gone relatively back to normal.

_Well, if you minus out the fact that Martha is terrified to let Clark leave the property, that I'm waking up with nightmares, and that Jonathan has become more withdrawn than his son, then yeah, everything is normal. _The brunette thought with a snort.

"Clark, you in here? Come on Smallville, dinners ready and I'm starving!" Lois shouted, pretending to be annoyed. She knew for a fact that he was in his loft; he'd been holed up there since the morning. Lana had stopped by briefly to see him, but that was it.

Silence.

Lois sighed as loudly as possible, hoping that the farm boy would hear her and get the point. "I know you're up there, Smallville! I swear I'll kick your butt if you keep me from your moms cooking!"

Nothing.

Frowning and wondering if he was okay, Lois made her way up the steps. "Clark?" She questioned, all of the annoyance in her voice replaced with worry.

The teen was sitting on his couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he gripped his dark hair tightly in his hands. His knuckles were white from grasping it so hard.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lois asked, walking over quickly. She couldn't help but wince at the way he was clutching his hair, it looked painful.

"H'uh?" Clark mumbled, dropping his hands and looking up from the table. He had been staring at a picture of Lana.

_Typical, _she thought before asking for the second time, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah…" Clark replied, obviously lying.

Lois raised an eyebrow as she took a seat beside him, and said, "Don't even think you're getting away with that feeble line. What's wrong? My womanly intuition tells me it has something to do with a certain girl with the last name Lang."

Clark shifted uncomfortably, "Really Lois, its nothing…I'm fine."

"Right, of course you are. So the fact that you almost died less than a month ago, combined with the problems you're having with your girlfriend and the fact that your parent's are watching your every move have had no affect on you whatsoever." Lois retaliated sarcastically.

Upon the surprised look on Clarks face, she continued confidently, "It's kind of obvious that you and Lana are in a rough spot right now, Smallville. I mean, you almost died and that really changes a person."

"I'm the same person I was before I was shot." Clark replied defensively. _Ugh, this is why I've avoided being alone in the same room with her, she never knows when to quit! _He thought exasperatedly.

"Well Lana isn't. It's obvious that this ordeal has shaken her."

Clark groaned, knowing that she was right. Lana was stressed out, and after some dead end discussions, she had finally admitted today that the entire reason why she had pulled away from him for all those years was because she knew in her heart that something like what happened, would happen.

In truth, he wasn't sure if they were going to be considered a couple for much longer. She obviously couldn't handle the strain.

"She left after I told her that I couldn't change that part of me." Clark finally said out loud.

"What do you mean?" Lois questioned.

"She's afraid that I'm going to get hurt again, she doesn't want me to play 'hero' anymore. Lois…I can't change who I am…I mean helping people…ugh, it's hard to explain!" Clark exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"Her heart is in the right place, Smallville." Lois said, "But you're right, you can't change who you are, and you shouldn't try…even if you do give everyone who cares about you a heart attack!"

Clark replied defensively, "I didn't mean to."

"I know that." Lois said as she punched Clark playfully in the arm, "You know, that was quite a way to meet up again."

"Yeah, sorry about that…not exactly a very nice welcome back…" He apologized with a sheepish grin.

Laughing, Lois replied, "I'd expect nothing less in Smallville."

"You know, I never thanked you before, for you know, saving me." Clark said awkwardly. _May as well thank her and get the gloating over with, _he thought with a small smile.

"Don't mention it, Smallville. Just please, don't do anything like that again…you really have no idea how much you scared me…" Lois replied, her voice turning soft as she remembered the terrible events, all of which were still very fresh.

Clark frowned as he studied her curiously. Her face was flushed slightly, and her eyes were bright with…tears? _Whoa, wait a second here…is Lois Lane holding back tears?! _He questioned, bewildered. _Where's the loud mouthed, know it all Lois I first met?_

Lois sniffed and wiped her eyes furiously as she swallowed the lump in her throat. The farm boys near death experience had affected her more deeply than she could comprehend. Every night she woke up in a sweat, her sleep plagued by the same nightmare over and over again…with Clark flat lining, but in her dream, he didn't come back...

"Hey, are you okay? Lois?" Clark asked, his hand gripping her shoulder as he studied her intensely.

Lois cleared her throat loudly and replied defensively, "It's nothing! I mean, I'm fine…it's my allergies. Has Shelby been on this couch?!"

"Lois…"

"Alright, alright so maybe you didn't just scare me…you _terrified_ me! I can't even remember a time when I was as frightened as I was on that road. I mean…you were just lying there…there was so much blood…" She blurted out, her emotions breaking loose.

Clark's eyes widened in shock when Lois suddenly dropped her head onto his shoulder, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey…" He began gently, trying to keep the blush that was creeping into his face at bay, "I'm alright…you saved me, and everything is fine now."

Lois jerked upwards and once again wiped the tears off of her face, horrified at her brief spell of weakness. "Uh, sorry Smallville. I guess the tough military brat façade weakened on me for a moment there." She joked thickly.

"I don't think it's a facade, Lois. You _are _a bull headed, stubborn military brat and you always will be." Clark teased, trying desperately to get rid of some of the tension that now filled the air.

Lois punched Clark playfully again, feeling very grateful for the fact that he hadn't pressed her about her 'feelings'. "So, how did this whole conversation turn around on me anyways?" She laughed nervously, "I came up here because you were separating me from the dinner your mom has whipped up!"

Clark smiled and stood, "I guess I better get down there then, the last thing I want is to face the wrath of Lois Lane!"

"Don't mock me, Smallville. You know I could take you!" She replied immediately.

Clark laughed as they headed down the stairs. _Wow, I never thought that Lois of all people could cheer me up. There's more to her than I give her credit for…_He thought to himself as he stared at Lois' back.

"Hurry up, Smallville!" Lois tossed over her shoulder as she exited the barn.

Clark shook his head and ran ahead of her, thoughts of Lana and his worry for his father, who as of late had been very subdued, driven clear out of his mind.

_**Later That Night **_

Martha and Jonathan slipped into bed, content sighs leaving both of their mouths as they pulled up the covers.

The last few weeks had been exhausting for both of them, and the prospect of sleep had become especially inviting.

Martha however, had other ideas tonight; she was determined to know why her husband had been acting so quiet since Clark had been released from the hospital. At first she had thought it had been both emotional and physical exhaustion…but now she wasn't so sure.

There was a look in his eyes that she couldn't shake, a haunting look…like he was waiting for the inevitable. "Jonathan." She finally spoke quietly.

There was a series of mumbled groans from the space beside her, and she was barely able to hear the "Yes, sweetheart?" out of the muffled noises.

"I want to know why you're acting so quiet lately. There's something wrong and I want to know what it is." She said in a soft, but commanding tone.

Jonathan groaned again, but rolled over so that he was facing her and replied, "I'm perfectly fine, sweetheart. It's just been rough these past few weeks, that's all."

"You're lying to me, Jonathan Kent." Martha stated her arms folding in disapproval.

"Martha…I'm just trying to forget what happened to our son, I-we almost lost him, and the thought that we almost did…it haunts me every day." He said quietly, it was half of the truth; he had no intention of telling her what Jor-El had told him. _I'll tell her when the time is right…_he justified to himself, _just like how I'll tell Clark when the time is right…_

Martha softened at her husbands words, knowing all to well the fear that he was going through. She herself was scared to let Clark leave the house, his brush with death had really brought to reality the fact that he _could _get hurt, that he _could _die, special abilities or not.

"Are you sure there's nothing else?" She asked.

Jonathan smiled slightly and flicked off the bedside light. "Goodnight, sweetheart." He said softly, kissing his wife on the forehead gently before turning so that his broad back faced her.

"Goodnight Jonathan." Martha whispered, more so to the darkness than to her spouse. With a small sigh she lay her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes, knowing that if there was something he was keeping from her, he'd tell her when he was ready.

_**Meanwhile, Downstairs**_

Clark frowned at the phone in his hands, tossing it back and forth as he thought. He was so concentrated, that he didn't notice Lois enter the kitchen, clad in a pair of baggy butterfly pajama pants and a matching tank top, until she said loudly, "How come whenever I enter a room you're in, you are fixated on one object?"

Jumping at the sound of her voice, Clark quickly set the phone down and offered her a half grin, "I was trying to decide whether or not I should call Lex, he's called at least once every day for the past two weeks."

Lois snorted at the mention of the billionaire, "It almost 1am, maybe you should sleep on it."

Clark smirked at the sarcastic comment and replied, "Lex is probably up closing business deals." _Or conspiring against me, _he thought to himself, half serious, half sarcastic.

"I thought you went to bed already." He added as he hung the phone back on its receiver.

"Yeah well…I wanted a glass of milk." Lois replied, conveniently leaving out the fact that she had had another nightmare, again. She poured herself a glass and downed the milk in two gulps. "Besides, you should be in bed too; don't you have chores to do in like 5 hours?"

"I couldn't sleep." Clark replied truthfully, "And I have chores in 6 hours, actually."

Lois eyed him up and down, her eyebrows arching when she noticed that he was in nothing but a pair of loose shorts.

Clark, suddenly aware of how exposed he was, cleared his throat and be blushed crimson for the second time that day. He tried to flatten his tousled hair nervously as he fidgeted on the spot.

Lois jumped when she realized that she had been staring, and she quickly washed out her glass before heading to the door. _You've seen him completely naked, what is wrong with you lately, Lane?_ "Oh, Smallville?" She asked, turning away from the hallway to look at him again.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…well…me and Chloe are heading to the beach tomorrow…it's supposed to be another scorcher, I was…I mean _we _were wondering if you wanted to come." Lois asked awkwardly; _stop tripping over your words like a damn school girl with a crush, Lane! This is Smallville for christ sake! _

Clark was so surprised at the invitation, that he was silent.

Lois quickly filled in the silence, "I mean…that is if you can swim…"

This got the farm boy's mouth working again, "Of course I can swim! I may have grown up on a farm but there are lakes around here you know…" He shot back playfully.

"I didn't mean it that way, Smallville!"

"Oh really? Then how did you-" Clark began to retort, but was cut off when Lois pointed to his chest with her finger.

He looked downwards and immediately remembered the small bandage that was taped just below ribs. He had completely forgotten that it was there, and who could blame him? There wasn't even a scar underneath that bandage…it was just for show so that no one would get suspicious.

"Oh...don't worry about that, its water proof." Clark replied sheepishly, wondering vaguely if it actually was.

"You sure, Smallville? Lakes aren't exactly clean…it won't get infected?"

"Trust me, it'll be fine." Clark said confidently, slightly touched by her apparent concern.

"Good! Then the beach tomorrow it is!" Lois grinned before exiting the kitchen, "Just wait until you see my dive, Smallville!"

"Mines not so bad either!" Clark called after her as he shut the kitchen lights off.

"We'll see how you compare to me!" Lois shot back from the stairs.

Clark flopped back onto the couch and pulled the quilt towards him. He closed his eyes and smiled softly when he heard his bedroom door shut, the house turning silent once again.

**End of Epilogue

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**

_I thought ending it with an invitation to the beach would be a great way to lead into the next episode. (The episode after Hidden being Aqua, which opens with the group at the beach) Well, there was some CLOIS hints in this final installment, once again…I'm really sorry if you weren't satisfied with the ending…I suck at ending these things…sigh!_

_Let me know how you liked this fiction and thank you soooooo much for sticking with me, and making my first Smallville fiction such a success! I love you all!_

_Ashley _


End file.
